Feeding attachment for printing presses



March 15 1927. 1,629,853

D. BELCHER FEEDING ATTACHMENT EOE PRINTENE PRESSES Filed April 1e, 1924 :5 sheets-sheet 1 'fr To #NE vus March v15 1927 v D. BELCHER.

FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 16. 1924 C5 Sheets-Sheet 2- Ec Hmm ,Mw wV N /W 5 l Q* n@ predetermined period, the feed of the material between the impression cylinder 19 and they transfer `or printing cylinder 6 in order to vary the distance between the impressions to be made thereon. Such means preferably consists in the provision of a suitable cam 29 secured to each end of the cylinder 19 as shown in Figures l and' 3.

These cams coact with a pair of cam wheels 31 secured to the shaft 26, to lift or move `the'feed wheels 25 out of contact with the material and thereby temporarily interrupt the feed of the material around the cylinder 19,`such period of interruption being governed by the length of the cam faces.

`The length of the impression is governed by that portion of a revolution of the impression cylinder 19, in which the cam 29 is out of engagement with the cam wheels 31 andthe feed wheels 25 are yieldingly held in contact .with the vweb of material thereby causing it to be fed synchronously with the rotation of the impression cylinder. The lengths of the transfer blankets 24 on the transfer cylinder 6 are also governed by the length of the impression and must,'therefore, coincide substantially with the circumferential length of that portion of the peripheral surface of the cylinder 19 in which the feed wheels 25 are in vfeeriling contact therewith. Therefore, it' will be readily understood that to vary the len l1 of the impression it is necessary, in tie majority of cases, to chan e the'size of the cams and also the lengt of the transfer blankets 24. rllhe cams' are, therefore, demountably secured to the cylinder. 19 so that they. may readily be demounted and other cams substituted as required. In Figure `l the transfer. cylinder` is shown as having two transfer blankets mounted thereon in which case two impressions are made for each revolution thereof. When two impressions are thus vmade for each revolution of the transfer cylinder 6 4the circumference thereof is preferably equal to twov times the circumference of the impression cylinder 19y so .that the latter will make two lrevolutions'to each revolution ofl the former. Therefore, in order that the impression cylinder'19 may be accurately and positively timed with respect to the rotation of the transfer cylinder 6, it is preferably driven directly from the main cylinder gear 32 by means of a gear 33 terminally The main cylinder gear 32 is of ordinary construction and well known in the art, and is therefore represented by dotted lines only in Figures 1 and 2. The feed wheel shaft 26 is posi-.

tively driven hy means of a pinion 30 mounted thereon and adapted to mesh with the gear 33 on the shaft 2l. The pitch d:-

.ameter of the gear 33ard pinion 3G are preferably equal to the diameters of the impression cylinder 19 and feed wheels 25, re-

impression made thereon, as above described,

it is drawn4- outwardly therefrom and over the feed 'cylinder 9 as particularly/'shown in Figure 1. A series of draw rolls. or wheels 34 are mounted upon a shaft above the feed cylinder 9 and function to cooperate with the cylinder to discl'iarge the printed material from the machine. These draw rolls are yieldingly held in constant Contact with the material by means of springs 36 which normally tend to downwardly move the bearings 37 in which the shaft 35 is mounted. A gear38 is provided on the shaft 11 adjacent one end of thefecd cylinder 9 and meshes with a pinion 39 on the feed roll shaft 14, and with asimilar pinion 41 on the draw roll shaft for the'purpose of transmitting1 power thereto. These gears are also of such diameter that the peripheral speeds of the feed cylinder, feed roll and draw rolls will be identical in order speed change gears mounted adjacent one end thereof. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, a gear 42 isterminally mounted on the shaft 11 adapted to mesh with a relatively wider faced intermediate pinion 43 carried by an adj ustably mounted change gear arm 44, pivotally mounted on the shaft 11 between the bearing l2 and-gear 42. A change gear 45 is demountably mounted upon one end of a. countershaft 46 which isv rotatably mounted in suitable bearings'providcd in the auxiliary frame 8. Afbcvel gear drive 47 is -provided at the opposite side of the machine to constantly transmit power ,to vthe'feed cylinder from the impression cylinder shaft 2l, as clearly shown in Figure 2. Thus, it

it is only necessary to remove the change gear 45 and substitute therefor a larger or smaller gear commensurate with the `speed of the feed required. material into the machine and drawing it The feeding of the therefrom is 'therefore constant and is always at a lower speed than the speed of the material when being printed, therebyvformingA loose folds in the webbing as shown in- Figure 1. v

periodtliat the eedjwheels 25 A contact with the' material.

ln order toV vary the distance between impressions y.it is necessary that the web of material be permitted to, lslip `or slide a pre- -determinedamountover the. surface of theimpi'ession cylinder 19 foreach impression made, such s ippage taking place during the are out of In'starting themateriall in this novel -feeding attachment it is first inserted between thek feed cylinder 9 and ieed roll 13 after which it is passed .through the tension bar 18 and'aroundfthe impression cylinder 19 and Vback betweenthe 'feed .cylinder andf draw rolls 34 as shown'in Figure 1. Before starting'the machine, however, a ,sufficient amount of iI'naterial.will be fed into themachineto form a loop or 'fold as indicated i bythe dotted line position of the lower section ofthe webbing in Figure 1." This lowery sectionl of the webbing is constantly slack as indicated,... In Figure 1 the earns 29 are 'shownin a'position about to disengage the camwheels; 31. A s soon as the cam wheels 31 arefout of engagementwith the cams the feedjrolls will contact with the material and .cause .it .to be fed aroundrthe impres-4 sion, cylinder, and substantially at the same instant4 the transfer. blanket 24 .will be brought into Contact with the materialand' the impression made thereon. Owing to the relatively higher peripheral speed of the iinpressi'on .cylinder `19 `with respect to the .peeA ripheral speed of the feed cylinder9, a portion ofthe slack lin the Afold ofthe lower v sectionofthe webbing will he taken up during the printing o eration, arid simultaneous- 1y a `fold :willbe ormed in 'the upper section of the .webbing as indicated by the dotted line position thereoL-as a result ofthe lower peripheral 'speed of the feed'cylinder 9` As I soon ,as the printing operation has been performed,- and the impressionv made the cams will engage the cam wheels 31 andinove the feedlwlieels out of engagement witlithe inamrahfthereby cansino'l the feeding of-fthe material around he impression cylinder -to 'be temporarily interrupted, the tension bar I18 holding the'. webbing against further movement and thereby causing the impres- 4 sioncylinder to rotate idly within the loops of 'thewebbing During this period of the j' cycle lof operation the fold in the upper secv y',ti'o'ln' ofthe web of'materia'lwill be gradually i 55 Finder 9, due (to. thetemporary interruption takniup -by theA drawrollsBl-and feed cylof the inaterialaronnd the cylinder 19,'and

i when .the uppersection becomestaut thema- -j terial will be drawn through the tension bar so arlfreliiitively slower' speed thantlie pe ripheral. speed of the cylinder,A thereby cans- 18- andaroiind the impression cylinder-19 at ing a slippage between the material and cylinder. v.As soon as the cams again move out of` tying the construction here' .ehownV u ,BIy

engagement 4with the "cam wheels, the-feed 65 rolls 25 will move into coiitact'with the niaterial and-feed it around the impression cylinder for the next iiiipression.

Thus, vit will readily' be seen that 'to varyv `the lengthV of impressions itis only necessary to change the size of the caiiis and lthe lengths" of thetiansfer blankets, and to iii'creaseor decrease 'the feed of the material between the impression cylinder 19 and the transfer cylinder. 6 at the time when the two cyliii`75 deis are `out of printing Contact witheach y vother and the feed wheels 25 are out of'feoding contact-with the impression cylinder l5).

At. such period the web ot material iiiayhc fed between the twol cylinders atffa relativelyv higher speed than the peripheral .speed oi" the impression cylinder which vwill cause thc.

"material to slip over` the 'surface ot'jthe cylpressof. the rotary direct printing type,

wliicli,-by" the'use of the cylinder l) 'and by lusing1 theprinting' cylinder A(3 as a tran-liter cylindeigfsliasr been converted into` an oil'- 95 set type of printing press. `It isf'tobe ni'ii'lhr-vv stood, however, that the 'fittaclnnent maybe' used equally aswell in'coiijnni-tionwith other types of printing presses by slfiliiiiilymodiu Y #10o I claim as my iii-veiition: l., The combination with inc-ins for printing at intervals upon a` continuons web, a

feed cylinder and rolls coopclable therewith .for continuously'feeding respective runs o'i 105- a web to and from tlie'l'iriiitingl nicnns, movably- )oui'iialed synchronously drivcirgripper-rolls, cooperable with the printing moans to intermittently feed 'the 'woll `at Ya higher speed than saidl 'continuonz-sv neh feeding` i'lo means, during" a printingir operation, and means lfor checking the travel oi' lin' ini-'min 'ing run voi the web;

2. vThe'combination with moans i'oipriniing at intervals up'ona web, a feed-cylinder 115 having rolls cooperahlc Itherewith for feeding-respective runs of' the web toward and from the printing means, niovahly journaled' synchronously driven gripper-rolls'l cooper-` able with theprinting iiieans'to food the web,` 120 and cams arranged to separates-:aid aiippr- `rolls during a non-printing period, andt means for checking -the travel of thei'ncoin--y 'ing run of the-web.

3. In combinationrwitli a'press including 125. .animpression cylinder, and "'autoniatioallyv adjustable ,synchronously ,driven gripper:

`wheels'coppe'rable with the cylinder for feeding` the web` aI feed cylinder having rolls cooperable therewith for feeding opposite inns of a web respectively toward and away from the impression cylinder, and grippei' roll raising means, operable by the. impression cylinder for inactivating the rolls during a non-printing period, and a `giiide frietionally engaging the run of the weh ltraveling ltoward the. impression cylinder.

-'l. A device of the class described, com` prising an inipression cylinder, synchronously driven gripper-rolls cooperable therewith, cam means on the impression cylinder for raising gripper rolls during a non-printing period, a feed cylinder, and rolls engaging therewith for feeding the rimsy of the Web in opposite. directions toward and away from the impression cylinder, and means for frictionally retarding that rim of the web travcling` toward the impression cylinder, and

disposed intermediately of said impression lso , toward said roll and drawing it therefrom and operating at a slower speed, and means frietionally engaging the sheethetween the fee'd and impression cylinders whereby the' sheet will hang in loose folds on the receiving' and discharging side of said feed `roll and allow saidlremote feeding means to operate continuously and saidl sheet he temporarily stationary on said feed roll.

6. The. combination with means for print` ing upon a. continuous sheet and spacing' the impressions thereon including an impression cylinder of a feed cylinder and ,rolls cooperahle therewith on the same side thereotl for feedingl the sheet. toward and from said printingv means continumsly` means cooper- 4 'able with said impressioncylinder for feeding and supportingthe sheet during the printing operation Aand operating at a l'iigher speed than said feed cylinder, a friction take-up through which said sheet on the receiving side of said adjacent feeding means, said adjacent-means having a part adapted for adjustment" to'temporarily release said sheet and linterrupt thex feed'thereof, said sheet due to said diderence in speed, forming a loose fold adjacent the receiving side of said remote feeding means and suiiii cient slack being provided in said sheet on the 'discharge side of said remote feedingmeans to allow said remote feed to operate continuously andthe travel of the sheet through the adjacent feeding means to he retarded. A

v7. ln a machine of the class described, a

transfer lcylinder, .an impression cylinder Co-v operating therewith to make impressions upon a web of mater'al at predetermined intei-wals, lmeans for operatingl said impression cylinder continuously, a feed evlinder, a feed roll cooperating with said feed o vlinder to feed the web of material to said impressioncylinder, a fold or loop of the material being foiiiied initially between said feed roll andy impression cylinder, a second` roll cooperan,-

ing with saidfeed cylinder on the dischareje A side ot' saidimpression cylinder ti'rre'eeive `the web therefrom after the. printing opera-v tion, said feed cylinder operating at a lower peripheral speed than said impression cylinder whereby a fold or loop will be formed inthe web of material on the discharge side of said impression cylinders, atension device.

on therereiving side Iof said impression cylinder through which thel web of material passes` said tension device permitting the weh. to he drawn therethrough to take up the loop on the vreceiving side of said impression cylinder when the continuedoperation ofiy said feedeylinder has taken np the loop on the discharge side of said in'il'iressioncylinder after the movement' of said impression cylinder has been interiul'ited.

tl. ln a machine of the class describeiha transfer cylinder having blankets thereon, an impression cylinder cooperating ywith said transfer cylinder to make impressions upon a web of material fed between theni,movably journaled driven` gripper Irolls for engaging the weh on said iii'ipression cylinder i for feeding it thereonsynchronously with the movement of said transfer Cylinder. cams .ros

tatable with said impression cylinder and ar-l ranged to raise the gripper rolls during nonprinting period, a feed cylinder having means cooperating therewith for feeding the web ot material to said impression cylinder` before the printing operation and withdrawing the web from said i.in].nt\ssion.cylinder after the printing operation. and means frietionall)r engaging! the web before arrivalat .the impression cylinder,

9. The eon'ibination with a transfer 'cylin-A der. of an impression cylinder cooperating with said transfer cylinder to make impres- ,sions at intervals upon a Web of material, .means for positively feeding the web to Said impression cylinder before the printing operation, said nieans also operatingto positively withdrav'v the web from said impression cylinder after the printing operation, and means frictionallyr engaging the web be fo-re arrival at the impression cylinder.

In Witnesswliereof, I have hereunto set 1" my'hand this 12th day of April, 1924.

' DANIEL :signorina les. 

